Towards the end of the NBA trade deadline, more and more rumors emerged about a possible LeBron James trade. It’s not the first time in the “King’s” career. We answer the most important questions about the future of the best scorer in NBA history.
On February 2, 2024, LeBron James’ agent put a stop to trade rumors surrounding a move for the superstar. “LeBron is not being traded and we haven’t asked for it,” Rich Paul of Klutch Sports told ESPN journalist Brian Windhorst.
The fact that the “King” is thinking about a trade behind closed doors is nothing new. Nevertheless, this year it seemed more likely than ever before. ran analyzes the Lakers star’s past and future.
What was the trade probability on deadline day?
In general, it has to be said that superstar trades have increased in recent years, while free agent signings of superstars have decreased. Therefore, the likelihood of a James trade this year has never been higher.
According to reports from “ESPN”, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Golden State Warriors asked the Los Angeles Lakers and GM Rob Pelinka whether a trade of the superstar would be possible. The Warriors in particular seemed to have realistic hopes.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne (ESPN), Draymond Green, along with Golden State owner Joe Lacob, asked Lakers owner Jeanie Buss whether there was a possibility of luring “King James” to the Bay Area. The crucial question was whether the player’s public frustration was an indicator of a desire for a trade.
The answer was clear: LeBron never asked for a trade and the Lakers don’t want to lose him.
The situation could change completely again next summer. LeBron James has a player option for 51 million euros for the 2024/25 season and so far he has not commented on whether he will exercise this option. If he lets this pass, he could sign with any team with enough cap space.
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LeBron and Curry on the Warriors: The perfect duo?
One of these teams would be the Golden State Warriors. Klay Thompson’s contract is expiring, dropping over $40 million from the payroll. Additionally, Chris Paul’s $30 million contract is not guaranteed. Still, the Warriors would have to work out a sign-and-trade deal to sign LeBron James. This means: LeBron would have to use his player option and then be traded immediately, as Golden State does not have enough free cap space to cover his enormous salary.
In all likelihood, they would have to give up two of their own first-round picks, a high-paying contract and also young, promising players. What the California team could also try to do is convince LeBron of the project so much that he would settle for a minimum contract of three million dollars.
That being said, the combination of Stephen Curry and LeBron James would be an NBA fan’s dream. The players are friends off the pitch and have stated in the past that they would like to play together.
On the one hand, with LeBron you would have the most intelligent player in NBA history to date, who could perfectly exploit the spacing provided by Curry. Hardly any player in the NBA attracts as much attention from opposing defenders as Curry. The resulting space would give LeBron enough space for his drives to the basket, whereby he can always play the pass to the three-point line if help is made in the zone.
On the other hand, a James who penetrates the zone regularly would also give Curry more space for his three-pointers, which he hits at almost 43 percent in his entire career. This pairing would also mean that Curry has to act less as a playmaker and can therefore concentrate more on his strengths, which are primarily the three-pointer.
However, pairing James with the best three-point shooter in NBA history would only lead to a potentially successful constellation with a good supporting cast. That would only be the case if the Warriors didn’t have to give up too many players for James or if he were content with a minimum contract.
Why were there so many trade rumors?
It’s no coincidence that LeBron James is also called “LeGM” among NBA fans. No other player in the biggest basketball league in the world has as much influence as he does. It was LeBron who ushered in a completely new era of “player empowerment” with his move to the Miami Heat. Previously, it was the NBA franchises that had decision-making authority over players. Since the “Decision” it is now the players who have more control over their own careers.
Roughly speaking, this is the reason for the numerous trade rumors surrounding James in recent years. The “King” controls his narrative together with the agency “Klutch Sports”. In addition, Shams Charania, one of the biggest and most influential NBA newsbreakers, is also under contract with “Klutch”.
This means that he can spread rumors with his management and thus put his current team under pressure. With this pressure he usually gets his current team to improve the squad in the desired positions.
LeBron can sometimes create this pressure because he repeatedly signs “one-plus-one” contracts. His current contract in LA is exactly that. A “One-Plus-One” contract is a working contract that extends over two years, with the second year being either a team or player option. If you now have a player option, the player can apply a lot of pressure. LeBron is also a master of media manipulation.
What’s next for LeBron in the summer?
As already mentioned, if James does not exercise his player option, he will become a free agent in the summer of 2024. Whether he takes this step depends closely on the Lakers’ offseason moves. Several possible additions are currently being traded in NBA circles, including Donovan Mitchell, Kyrie Irving and Trae Young. The Lakers have the most hope for Mitchell, who is currently having a strong season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
His contract runs until the 2024/25 season, although he has a player option for the following season. Conversely, this means that this is probably Cleveland’s last chance to get value for the All-Star guard. There have also been repeated rumors that Mitchell does not see his future with the Cavs.
If this deal goes through, it would be logical for LeBron to stay. On the other hand, there is another component that will influence his decision: the draft of Bronny James.
Dennis Rodman
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Marcus Smart
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Ron Artest (Metta World Peace)
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Andrei Kirilenko
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Jimmy Butler
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Anthony Mason
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Chris Kaman
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Who could be the two teams with the best chances?
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, there are two teams that will try to both draft Bronny and sign LeBron this offseason. The franchises apparently assume that the “King” would be willing to sign a contract that is well below $51 million (his player option is $51 million).
The question that now arises: “Which two teams could these theoretically be?”
Option 1: Die Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers currently only have two players under contract for the coming season with Joel Embiid and a non-guaranteed contract for Paul Reed. According to Spotrac, this leaves around $76 million in cap space free. If one now assumes that Tyrese Maxey will sign a new long-term contract, another 30 to 40 million dollars will be deducted from this amount.
If LeBron forgoes money and Bronny also falls out of the draft, Philly would have the opportunity to sign both of them. The big problem is that Bronny’s performance is not enough for a high draft placement, but various NBA teams would probably still draft him high in order to also get his father.
The combination of Maxey, Embiid and James would be deadly – but also unlikely. Nevertheless, this option would be absolutely awesome!
Option 2: Die New York Knicks
The situation with the Knicks is the opposite of that with the Sixers. Although they have their own 2024 pick, they only have $9 million in cap space next season, according to Spotrac. Accordingly, they would have to get rid of players in order to have more money available or convince LeBron of a small contract.
During the trade deadline there was talk that James could definitely imagine a commitment to the “Big Apple”. Together with Jalen Brunson, the “King” could try to win their first championship since 1973.
2024-02-15 22:54:00
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